ESSA
is the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, formerly
known as ÒNo Child Left BehindÓ.
Note:
An LEA is either a school district or a charter
school.
[page
113]
TITLE
II—PREPARING, TRAINING, AND RECRUITING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS,
OR OTHER SCHOOL LEADERS
SEC.
2001. PURPOSE.
The
purpose of this title is to provide grants to State educational agencies and
subgrants to local educational agencies to —
(1)
increase student achievement consistent with the challenging State academic
standards;
(2)
improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers É;
(3)
increase the number of teachers É who are effective in improving student
academic achievement in schools; and
(4)
provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers É.
[page
124 & 125]
LOCAL
APPLICATIONS.—
(1)
IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a subgrant under this section, a
local educational agency shall submit an application to the State educational
agency É.
(2)
CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.—Each application submitted under paragraph (1)
shall include the following:É
(F) An assurance that the local
educational agency will coordinate professional development activities
authorized under this part with professional development activities provided
through other
Federal, State, and local programs.
(3)
CONSULTATION.—In developing the application described in paragraph (2), a
local educational agency shall—
(A)
meaningfully consult with TEACHERS [MY CAPS], É, community partners, and other organizations or partners with
relevant and demonstrated expertise in programs and activities designed to meet
the purpose of this title;
(B)
seek advice from the individuals and organizations described in subparagraph
(A) regarding how best to improve the local educational agencyÕs activities to
meet the purpose of this title; and
(C)
coordinate the local educational agencyÕs activities under this part with other
related
strategies, programs, and activities being conducted in the community.
[A
long list of suggested uses of Title II funds is on page 125 to 129. Professional
development predominates, including in STEM.
SEC. 2103. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—A local educational agency that receives a
subgrant under section 2102 shall use the funds made available through the
subgrant to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and
activities described in subsection (b), which may be carried out—
(1) through a grant or contract with a for-profit or non-profit
entity; or
(2) in partnership with an institution of higher education É
(b) TYPES OF ACTIVITIES.—The programs and activities
described in this subsection—
(1) shall be in accordance with the purpose of this title;
(2) shall address the learning needs of all students, including
children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted and talented students;
and
(3) may include, among other programs and activities—
(E) providing
high-quality, personalized professional development that is evidence-based, to the extent
the State (in consultation with local educational agencies in the State) determines
that such evidence is reasonably available, for teachers É, that is focused
on improving teaching and student learning and achievement É
É
(M) developing and providing professional development and other
comprehensive systems of support for teachers É to promote high-quality
instruction and instructional leadership in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics subjects, including computer science;
É
For
the definition of high-quality, evidence-based professional development, see
the document on Title VIII in ESSA, at http://modeling.asu.edu (near the bottom
of the webpage, below this document). Modeling Instruction fits the description
well!
TITLE
VIII—GENERAL PROVISIONS (page 287 to 290, 298)
É
(21)
EVIDENCE-BASED.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as
provided in subparagraph (B), the term Ôevidence-basedÕ, when used with respect
to a State, local educational agency, or school activity, means an activity,
strategy, or intervention that—
(i) demonstrates a
statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other
relevant outcomes based on—
(II)
moderate evidence from at least 1 well-designed and well-implemented
quasi-experimental study; or É
(42)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.—The term Ôprofessional developmentÕ means
activities that—
(A) are an integral part of school and
local educational agency strategies for providing educators É with the knowledge and
skills necessary to enable students to succeed in a well-rounded education and
to meet the challenging State academic standards; and
(B) are sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, or
short term workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven,
and classroom-focused, and may include activities that—
(i) improve and increase
teachersÕ—
(I) knowledge of the academic subjects the teachers teach;
(II) understanding of how students learn; and
(III) ability to analyze student work and achievement É
(v) support theÉ training of
effective teachersÉ,
(vi) advance teacher understanding
of—
(I) effective instructional
strategies that are evidence-based; and É
(viii) are developed with extensive
participation of teachersÉ
(x) to the extent appropriate,
provide training for teachers É in the use of
technology É
(xi) as a whole, are regularly
evaluated for their impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved
student academic achievementÉ
(xiii) include
instruction in the use of data and assessments to inform and instruct
classroom practice; É
(xv) involve the forming of partnerships with institutions
of higher education É
(xvii) provide follow-up
training to teachers É to ensure that the knowledge and skills learned by the
teachers are implemented in the classroom;
TECHNOLOGY.—The term
ÔtechnologyÕ means modern information, computer and communication technology
products, services, or tools, including, the Internet and other communications
networks, computer devices and other computer and communications hardware, software applications, É